Monday, February 28, 2011

Have you noticed that white seems to be the new "it" theme in home decor? Many of the blogs I look to for inspiration, folks like Chez Larsson, Today I Love, and decor8, they all seem to be on a kick of painting walls and furniture and floors white, white, white. The bare look has a spartan beauty to it, an elegant simplicity that suggests infinite patience and total domination over clutter. Let's just say my own space will never, ever, ever be featured in any of those blogs. Except perhaps under the header “NOT.”

So instead I’d like to send a shout out to all those people who surround themselves with color and softness and textural chaos. On their furniture, their tables, their walls, their windows, wherever they damn well please. The more the merrier. I'm not talking an episode of Hoarders, just...not a size 2. Decorgenically speaking.

How about it? Is anyone with me?

14 comments:

rosi-r said...

Oh sing it sister Clara! You are preaching to the choir.

Erika said...

I'm beginning to embrace the Swedish white-walls, pattern fabrics everywhere, beautiful wood furniture, and houseplants. Svenskt Tenn does it the best...oh those crazy patterns, but it sees so refreshing and inspiring right now. Of course, that means I need to paint all my walls. Maybe soon.

WendyKnits said...

Those of us with non-white longhair cats will never embrace the white-on-white look. ;-)

Valerie said...

Timely post. Right now I have about 30 different paint chips in various colors of gold sticky tacked to the kitchen wall. We are getting ready to pull down wall paper (yes, I know...) and paint and the only white will be the ceiling and the wall primer that's the base for the paint.

Right now the color that is calling to me the loudest is Behr's Sweet Honey.

Anonymous said...

Would I have to hide all of my beautiful yarns in a white cabinet? Never!

Where would my great-grandson play with his colorful trucks and blocks? Give me a little homey clutter any day.

Anonymous said...

A home without color? Absolutely not!!

Anonymous said...

I love color, couldnt live in all white. One of the many reasons I love to knit is that I get to create in whatever color I crave at that time. I have seen all white homes, lovely, but not for me.

Donna in VA said...

Totally with you

YarnKettle said...

The ability to paint a room a color is one of the reasons we bought a house. I was so sick of 'apartment white' that I could have screamed. Now I live in a lavender bed room, have a blue bathroom, and a calm tea green guest room.
On a side note is it weird that I view white (undyed) spots on hand painted yarns as cheating and unfinished?
Thanks for your wonderful blog.

Liz said...

Color! Clutter! Oxblood red, deep olive green and shades thereof are my favorites. And where would I be without baskets and shelves of yarn, and books stacked all over. The orderly life is not for me.

Anonymous said...

Me, I like white/light walls. My color (and lots of it) comes from pictures, rugs, upholstry, curtains, etc. I struggle to avoid the clutter of the victorian period (a losing battle), but I will never be the simple, monastic style either! :-) Definitely need color in my life!!
Elizabeth

Mel said...

I have to say that David and I are both fans of the Scandinavian beadboard-painted-white look. I think it only works, though, if it's used as a backdrop to color. I doubt that "spare" and "orderly" will ever be used to describe our house.

Lanea said...

Another color lover here, sitting in my green living room with the teal stair wall. I'm plenty pale to provide all of the white my decor needs.

cat@catbordhi.com Bordhi said...

Decorgenically speaking, I go for wood, yarn, needles, yarn, wheels, fiber, floating fiber and high-grade-dust-bunnies, chocolate, Asian dumplings, cinnamon, Trader Joe's High-Fiber cereal, buttons, books, handmade potholders, cold clear running water, and deer who want in. White surfaces? No.

And size 2? Fine for socks, but not for other things.